Geraint, son of Erbin
part 18
"Ah, knight," said Geraint, "whence comest thou?"
"I come," said he, "from the valley below us."
"Canst thou tell me," said Geraint, "who is the owner of this fair valley and yonder walled town?"
"I will tell thee, willingly," said he. "Gwiffert Petit he is called by the Franks, but the Cymry call him the Little King."
"Can I go by yonder bridge," said Geraint, "and by the lower highway that is beneath the town?"
Said the knight, "Thou canst not go by his tower on the other side of the bridge, unless thou dost intend to combat him; because it is his custom to encounter every knight that comes upon his lands."
"I declare to Heaven," said Geraint, "that I will, nevertheless, pursue my journey that way."
"If thou doest so," said the knight, "thou wilt probably meet with shame and disgrace in reward for thy daring."
Then Geraint proceeded along the road that led to the town, and the road brought him to a ground that was hard, and rugged, and high, and ridgy. And as he journeyed thus, he beheld a knight following him upon a warhorse, strong, and large, and proudly-stepping, and wide-hoofed, and broad-cheted. And he never saw a man of smaller stature than he who was upon the horse. And both he and his horse were completely armed.
When he had overtaken Geraint, he said to him, "Tell me, chieftain, whether it is through ignorance or through presumption that thou seekest to insult my dignity, and to infringe my rules."
"Nay," answered Geraint, "I knew not this road was forbid to any."
"Thou didst know it," said the other, "come with me to my Court, to give me satisfaction."
"That will I not, by my faith," said Geraint; "I would not go even to thy Lord's Court, excepting Arthur were thy Lord."
"By the hand of Arthur himself," said the knight, "I will have satisfaction of thee, or
receive my overthrow at thy hands."
And immediately they charged one another. And a squire of his came to serve him with lances as
he broke them. And they gave each other such hard and severe strokes, that their shields lost all their colour. But it was very difficult for Geraint to fight with him on account of his small size, for he was hardly able to get a full aim at him with all the efforts he could make. And they fought thus until their horses were brought down upon their knees; and at length Geraint threw the knight headlong to the ground; and then they fought on foot, and, they gave one another blows so boldly fierce, so frequent, and so severely powerful, that their helmets were pierced, and their skullcaps were broken, and their arms were shattered, and the light of their eyes was darkened by sweat and blood. At the last Geraint became enraged, and he called to him all his strength; and boldly angry, and swiftly resolute, and furiously determined, he lifted up his sword, and struck him on the crown of his head a blow so mortally painful, so violent, so fierce, and so penetrating, that it cut through all his head armour, and his skin, and his flesh, until it wounded the very bone, and the sword flew out of the hand of the Little King to the farthest end of the plain, and he besought Geraint that he would have mercy and compassion upon him.
"Though thou hast been neither courteous nor just," said Geraint, "thou shalt have mercy, upon condition that thou wilt become my ally, and engage never to fight against me again, but to come to my assistance whenever thou hearest of my being in trouble."
"This will I do, gladly, Lord," said he.
So he pledged him his faith thereof.
"And now, Lord, come with me," said he, "to my Court yonder, to recover from thy weariness and fatigue."
"That will I not, by Heaven," said he.
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Pwyll